Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Nutty Whole Wheat Couscous Pilaf

I have a very well stocked pantry with an enviable variety of grains from which to choose when making interesting recipes. The only thing that could possibly be more interesting is if I actually looked in there once in a while instead of just reaching for potatoes. But, it's a new year, a whole new me, a healthy me...OK, I was out of potatoes. But that gave me a chance to reacquaint myself with one of my favorite quick cook grains.

Whole wheat couscous has a great nutty flavor, tons of fiber and is ready in just a few minutes. That last one tends to be important at the end of a workday when I'm tired and hungry. But I did spend the extra few minutes sauteing an onion because it adds so much flavor.

Some fresh herbs and a handful of chopped pistachios for extra crunch made it even tastier. And as I was wolfing it all down, I tried to remember why I reach for potatoes so often. In fact, I think I'll just leave the canister of couscous on the counter since I plan to make it again tomorrow. And the day after. Enjoy!

Nutty Whole Wheat Couscous Pilaf

by Hungry Couple

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

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Ingredients (4 Servings)

1 Tablespoon olive or canola oil

1 Onion, peeled and diced

1 Cup whole wheat couscous

1 1/2 Cups chicken stock (I used low fat, low sodium)

1/4 Teaspoon salt, or to taste

Dash of black pepper

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 Tablespoons chopped pistachios

Instructions

Add the oil and onion to a pot and saute on medium heat until the onions have softened and lightly caramelized.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the couscous to the boiling liquid, stir once, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 - 10 minutes until the liquid has been fully absorbed.

Fluff the couscous with a fork, season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley and pistachios.